Friday, January 6, 2012

Finishing Our Hike On The Taconic Crest Trail

We were on our way back to the trail head and my parked car. It had certainly not been a difficult hike, perhaps only 5.5 miles and mostly level, but my legs felt like rubber. I knew this muscle weakness was a bad side effect of a drug my doctor'd had me try. I would certainly stop taking it, but for now I just needed to make it back to the car:

Though I was feeling increasingly weak and tired, the four pooches were having themselves a merry old time, When they'd run too far ahead, I'd just call them back to me and they'd come running with enormous enthusiasm. A little petting and praise works wonders:

Being late December, the sun set very early and we were mostly walking right towards it. The setting sun and slanting sunshine gave everything a magical appearance:

I knew that just before the trail head was a scenic overlook not too far from the path. I gave a call for the dogs and walked over there, tired legs and all:

This view looked out over the Taconic Valley and the towns of Petersburgh and Berlin. Of course I couldn't see that far, but Albany also lay off in that direction:

Route 2 runs up the valley between where we stood and that next mountain. My car was parked at the foot of that mountain. I heard no more laughter so assumed the sledding children had all gone home:

Farm fields cut out of the forest down in the valley:

But the lengthening shadows and my very weak legs gave me good reason to continue on toward the car:

I put the dogs all on leashes in order to cross the highway. I then loaded them up into the car and snapped one last photo of Massachusetts' Mount Greylock not too far away:

The dogs were not at all tired. They'd have loved to hike some more but I wanted to go home:

One last glance across the road to the start of the trail we'd just hiked and I began driving home:

And on the way stopped for a quick photo of the house I used to own, in which I lived when I adopted my two boys. The hayloft of that barn is where I lived for three years before that. It brought back lots of memories, some good and some bad. But it was time to drive home and take a rest:

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About Me

In my life I've resided in the hayloft of a barn, adopted two teens, started a church, a school and a chorus. I've volunteered at the Rescue Mission, animal shelter (thus the house full of critters), AIDS Council and with children. Then, after all those adventures and nearing retirement, I decided to become a cattle farmer and purchased a small farm in northern New York, situated on a windswept plain north of the Adirondack mountains. I am raising purebred Red Poll cattle and a few bantam chickens. There are nearby Adirondack wilderness hikes for me to explore with the dogs. My blog tells the story in pictures and my desire is to share with you the sense of awe and wonderment I feel as I move through this world of animals, plants, people, forests, rivers, villages and starry skies. This is indeed a marvelous world.
Click on any of the photos to see an extra large version.